War Poetry.

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Introduction

According to the international law, war is the declaration of violent intentions on another state or country. Through the ages there have been many ways of preserving the memories of these precious moments of human violence - through art, drama and documented personal accounts, but one of the most empathetical methods is through poetry. War poetry is a person's response and contains issues surrounding war; most poems written about war have personal feelings and include their interpretations of events. Many who are affected by the aftermath of war turn to poetry in order to release their trapped feelings; they attempt to evoke a response from the reader. The first poem was written previously to the 20th century and it focuses upon the Crimean war. The poem is titled 'The Charge of the Light Brigade.' The Crimean war lasted from 1853 - 1856. It was military conflict between Russia and a coalition of Great Britain, France, the Kingdom of Sardinia, and the Ottoman Empire; this war was a major turning point in the political history of post-Napoleonic Europe. The roots of the conflict lay in the Eastern Question posed by the decline of the Ottoman Empire, a development of fraught with explosive implications for the European balance of power. From the 18th century, Russia had become increasingly eager to take advantage of this situation to increase its influence in the Balkans and to wrest from the Turks control of the straits between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. ...read more.

Middle

(Stanza 4) Here it is apparent that they have begun to attack the enemy in close combat with their swords. However it is obvious that they have been repelled. The use of metaphors in combination with alliteration is obviously an effective strategy by observing the power of these sections. In the final stanza Tennyson is praising the glory of war: "When can the glory fade?" (Stanza 6) He obviously intends his poem to carry the memories of this war through all time. He is honouring the Light Brigade's fearless charge towards inevitable defeat although they probably did not know this at the time. Tennyson focuses upon the Light Brigade as noble, dutiful, and patriotic. He finishes off the poem with "Noble six hundred!" (Stanza 6) There is no mention of their defeat; this conjures Tennyson's pride in these courageous men. Wilfred Owen was born in 1893 and died in 1918. From early youth he wrote poetry, at first most of it was inspired by religion. He became increasingly disapproving of the role of the church in society, and he sympathised with the poor. In 1913, he went to France and taught English there until 1915. Owen made the decision to enlist in the army and fight in World War 1. He entered the war in January 1917 and fought as an officer in the Battle of the Somme but was hospitalised. ...read more.

Conclusion

This poem is extremely effective as an anti-war poem, as it makes war seem horrid and revolting, just as the author wished it. When comparing these two poems I concluded by stating that both poems, share very different messages, through their use of metaphors, similes and alliteration. Patriotism is looked upon through different aspects, "The Charge of the Light Brigade" states the cavalry as noble, dutiful and courageous. Whereas "Dulce et Decorum est" portrays a more realistic approach and focuses on the exhaustion of the men. Both poems commemorate the dead and neither creates a moral atrocity on each event. Another comparison surrounding both poems is the fact that they are both symbolic to a ballad, as they focus on the events of death. On the other hand one must notice the contrasting effects each poem has. The era each poem was written in is different and the language used is also a contrasting issue, as "The Charge of the Light Brigade" uses positive language. Whereas "Dulce et Decorum est" conveys a more negative approach to war itself and this is reflected through the language used throughout. On one thing alone both poems agree that each one is important to one self, and the fact that you have to fight for your believes becomes inevitable. On concluding war poetry, both poems and life in general can be described as "Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori." By Arron Pollock 12RT Arron Pollock 12RT ...read more.

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